Promise and Betrayal: A Mo Dao Zu Shi (the Untamed) Story

Chapter 32

Lan Zhan knocks me out of the air, sword flashing toward my chest. I parry with both my weapons, forcing him to take a step back. From my kneeling position, I prop one leg up, then the other, all while forcing Lan Zhan back.

Time has been suspended, the only indication of how long has passed being the ache in my muscles. They ache now, but not so much that I cannot move. If I fight through the pain, I may gain the upper hand, despite the fact neither of us have landed blows yet.

I twist his sword away, forcing him to go with it. I leap at his exposed side, slashing diagonally for his side with Betrayal. I bring up Promise as a surprise attack. He spins, avoiding Betrayal, and batting away Promise. I land lightly on my feet, a few meters away from him. He skids to a stop, turning back to me. I let him come, flexing my toes in their shoes.

His sword is slicing for my cheek, angling to my skull. I twist away, spinning around him and swinging my swords for his back. Caught in his blind spot, off balance, and perhaps a bit tired, Lan Zhan does not parry or dodge. I feel as Betrayal bites deep into his back, the sword almost trembling at the blood that results.

Lan Zhan stumbles away the instant he feels Betrayal, weary of Promise and the quick succession of my attacks. He narrowly misses Promise's blade, ducking just low enough for it to fly above him. He swings at my legs next. I jump, neatly flipping over him and landing on his other side. He turns, standing as he does. Pain coats his features, causing a faint twinge of regret to rise in me. This man is my friend, yet I am in the process of killing him for my brother. I shake my head to clear the thought. Thinking is hazardous for fighting. It makes you hesitant and unsteady. Both of which will get me killed.

I hear a whoosh. I dodge to the side, narrowly missing Lan Zhan's sword as it passes where my chest just was. In response, I make to stab his chest. He is close now, and the attack almost lands. At the last second, Lan Zhan moves faster than I can see. I have left myself open to attack, thinking he would not be near enough for it to matter.

The next moment, I am lying on the ground, my arms pinned, Lan Zhan's sword touching my throat. Promise has fallen out of my hand. Betrayal, even if I could move it, will do nothing. I have lost.

I find Lan Zhan's gaze, aware of the sorrow and the grief that plagues my own gaze. When I find his, I see those emotions reflected, like I am looking at a mirror. I stare into the depths of his eyes for a moment, letting myself memorize my best friend's face, his tender expression in this moment, before my life ends.

Softly, I nod, closing my eyes. My last sight is of Lan Zhan's sheened eyes, drowning in sorrow. I feel the pressure from the tip of the sword increase. Something warm trickles down my neck. I do not open my eyes, waiting for the pressure to leave and come back with rushing force. I pray he makes it quick and painless.

The blade's pressure disappears. I brace myself for the final blow, keeping an image of Wei Ying and Lan Zhan, laughing, fixed in my mind. I want it to be the last thing I think of before I die. Of my two best friends: my brother and his lover, laughing effortlessly, like nothing else mattered. Not the stereotypes, not the dangers, not the impossibilities. It is only the three of us and our happiness.

I feel myself sink into a profound peace. My head grows heavy, my mind wrapping itself in a warm blanket. I exhale, expecting it to be my last breath.

The blow never comes.

I open my eyes slowly, hardly daring to believe I am still alive. Lan Zhan knew that if he did not kill me, I would continue to fight him until I dropped dead from exhaustion. I knew that if I did not kill him, he would do the same. I sit up.

The sight I am struck with brings tears to my eyes.

Lan Zhan kneels beside me, sword point down, head bowed. I cannot see his face, but his shoulders shake. He hears me move, raising his head. His eyes are bloodshot, the depth of the emotion in them striking. Fear, loathing, regret, sorrow...they whirl together into what I see now.